Lithium-rich compositions

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the production of lithium-enriched compositions from lithium-ion batteries, and the processing of those compositions for the economic recovery of lithium compounds useful for commercial and industrial applications.

1 . A lithium concentrate comprising:
 about 13% to about 30% Li 2 O;   about 25% to about 55% SiO 2 ; and   about 25% to about 55% Al 2 O 3 .   
     
     
         2 . The lithium concentrate of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 about 0.01% to about 5% CaO; and   about 0% to about 5% MnO.   
     
     
         3 . The lithium concentrate of  claim 1 , comprising about 20% to about 30% Li 2 O. 
     
     
         4 . The lithium concentrate of  claim 1 , comprising about 25% to about 30% Li 2 O. 
     
     
         5 . The lithium concentrate of  claim 1 , further comprising less than about 1% CaO. 
     
     
         6 . The lithium concentrate of  claim 1 , further comprising less than about 1% MnO. 
     
     
         7 . A process comprising:
 feeding lithium batteries, battery scrap, or battery components into a furnace;   blowing or injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the furnace to produce a metal phase and a lithium concentrate phase, wherein heating is autothermal; and   separating the metal phase from the lithium concentrate phase.   
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the flow of said oxygen-containing gas is controlled to selectively deport individual elements to the metal phase or to the lithium concentrate phase. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 8 , wherein the flow of said oxygen-containing gas is controlled to maintain the temperature between about 1350° C. and about 1800° C. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein lithium and aluminum present in the lithium batteries, battery scrap, or battery components are oxidized. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 10 , wherein the oxidized lithium and aluminum deport to the lithium concentrate phase. 
     
     
         12 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein non-aluminum and non-lithium metals present in the lithium batteries, battery scrap, or battery components are reduced. 
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 12 , wherein the non-aluminum and non-lithium metals deport to the metal phase. 
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein SiO 2  is added. 
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 14 , wherein the SiO 2  is added to the lithium concentrate phase. 
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein the metal phase is a liquid and is decanted from the solid lithium concentrate phase. 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein a fluidizer is not added. 
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 7 , wherein no external heating is used. 
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 7 , producing the lithium concentrate of a lithium concentrate comprising:
 about 13% to about 30% Li 2 O;   about 25% to about 55% SiO 2 ; and   about 25% to about 55% Al 2 O 3 .   
     
     
         20 . A process for extracting lithium from a lithium concentrate, comprising:
 reducing the size of the lithium concentrate;   acidifying a slurry of the size-reduced lithium concentrate in water by addition of at least one acid;   neutralizing the acidic slurry to a pH of about 7; and   filtering the solids from the neutralized slurry, thereby obtaining a clarified lithium-enriched solution of a lithium salt.   
     
     
         21 . The process according to  claim 20 , wherein the lithium concentrate is reduced in size to between about 50 μm and about 150 μm. 
     
     
         22 . The process according to  claim 20 , wherein the acid is sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid. 
     
     
         23 . The process according to  claim 20 , wherein the slurry of the size-reduced lithium concentrate in water is acidified to a pH between about 2.5 and about 5. 
     
     
         24 . The process according to  claim 20 , further comprising:
 removing calcium and magnesium impurities from the clarified lithium-enriched solution.   
     
     
         25 . The process according to  claim 20 , further comprising:
 reacting the clarified lithium-enriched solution with sodium carbonate to produce solid lithium carbonate; and   isolating the solid lithium carbonate.   
     
     
         26 . The process according to  claim 20 , wherein at least 80% of the lithium is extracted from the lithium concentrate. 
     
     
         27 . The process according to  claim 20 , wherein aluminum is not present in the extracted lithium salt. 
     
     
         28 . The process according to  claim 20 , wherein the lithium concentrate is a lithium concentrate of comprising:
 about 13% to about 30% Li 2 O;   about 25% to about 55% SiO 2 , and   about 25% to about 55% Al 2 O 3 .